Gift of perfect loyalty
by curse-of-the-cat
Summary: Dean always thought Sam was the special one. It just rubbed off on Dean. When an angel of the Lord invades his life and his mind, well, maybe Sam wasn't the special one after all. AU season 4 ADOPTED FROM SHADOWBLADE-TARA!
1. Chapter 1

Supernatural © the CW. Not mine, obviously.

An: This is a complete AU of season 4. Spoilers for all episodes. Basically, there's a longer gap between episode one and episode two of season 4 where Dean learns about Ruby and Sam meets Cas. The rest of the changes you'll have to read to find out.

**ch 1**

"Dean."

He doesn't want to look. He knows who's standing by the door of the sleazy motel room, and quite frankly, he doesn't want to talk. He's still laying face-down on his bed, back and arms bruised and bloody from their last hunt. He hurts in more ways than one. So he doesn't move.

There's a sigh, and the bed dips slightly as Castiel sits down next to him. He's close enough that Dean can feel the warmth from his body. /Dean./ the angel speaks again, and this time the words appear inside Dean's mind.

/I really don't want to talk right now./ Dean grumbles. His face is buried in the pillow.

Castiel's hand barely ghosts over Dean's back. /You haven't cleaned your wounds./

/Can't reach 'em./ Dean grunts. /Sam's gone./

/With Ruby./

Dean can't bring himself to respond. He doesn't want to think about what that means. He can't bring his mind to even touch on why his brother left when it was clear Dean is still injured. He wants to cry, but the tears won't come. So he just lays there and tries not to let the pillow suffocate him.

Foreign anger drifts across the back of his mind before Castiel regains control. /I can heal it./ the angel offers.

Dean doesn't even twitch. /Don't bother. It'll be fine by morning./ he mutters. Castiel doesn't make it a habit to randomly heal Dean unless it's life-threatening, and Dean doesn't want him to start now. He's used to scars.

/May I at least clean them?/ Castiel moves from the bed. Dean can hear him digging around in his duffel bag for the first aid kit they always keep on hand. He doesn't immediately return to the bed and set to work. He's waiting for Dean to give permission.

The hunter barely nods. /Sure./ he whispers, and even his mental voice is raspy with pain and betrayal. Castiel resumes his position on the bed and rips the remains of Dean's shirt with ease. Cold peroxide hits the open wounds, and Dean bites his lip hard enough to draw blood. His shoulders tense, and he forces himself to relax.

Castiel knows his charge is in pain. The nature of their unexpected link won't allow for lies. He says nothing as he continues to clean the gashes with peroxide-soaked cotton balls. It would be easier and less painful just to heal Dean's back, but the hunter won't allow it, and Castiel will not go against his wishes. He merely keeps his motions smooth and quick to keep the torment as short as possible.

He's in the process of taping gauze patches to the wounds when Dean speaks again. /I can't sense him./

Castiel doesn't have to ask. They've had this conversation before. /I know./

/What's keeping him from me?/

The angel sighs and pulls a blanket over Dean to protect his back. The hunter immediately shrugs it away, wincing in the process. Castiel doesn't try again. /I wish I knew, Dean./ In the six months since he pulled Dean out of Hell, he already knows the man almost as well as he knows Uriel. He thinks he's starting to care for the hunter, although with his limited experience with humans, he's not sure. Considering the telepathic bond he now shares with Dean, it could just be the human's emotions filtering back to him.

Dean sighs. He tries to sit up, ignoring the searing pain in his arms and shoulders. Castiel frowns and presses his hand against Dean's neck, holding him down. /You need to rest, Dean./ hey says. Dean shakes his head.

/I need to find Sam./

Castiel grits his teeth. He blames that habit on Dean. /Sam will come back. He always does./ he reminds the younger man. Dean simply shakes his head the best he can still pressed into the pillow. Castiel doesn't let him up. /You are in no condition to drive./

/I have to find Sammy!/

/I will find Sam./ The offer comes out before Castiel can actually think about it. Dean stops struggling and simply tilts his head enough that he can see the angel. When he speaks, his voice is raspy.

"You'll find him?"

"And bring him back. You have my word."

Dean sighs and relaxes almost instantly. "Please." he whispers. "Please bring him back."

Castiel nods. "Rest." he murmurs, and vanishes from sight. Dean simply stares at the place where the angel sat. Then he buries his face in the pillow again and closes his eyes.

/-/

Sam is a full zip code away from Dean, just exiting the motel room he's sharing with Ruby for the night. He's not expecting the sound of feathered wings. He turns, coming almost nose-to-nose with Castiel. He jumps and curses. "Dean's right – you gotta stop – "

"Why are you here?" Castiel demands.

Sam doesn't know how to answer that. "Did Dean put you up to this?" he shoots back, and instantly he knows that's the wrong thing to say. Castiel's entire expression hardens, making him look more like the soldier he's supposed to be.

"Dean is still injured." Castiel says flatly. "The werewolf clawed his back before you killed it. Were you even aware he was in pain as he drove you to the motel?" Sam doesn't respond. He can't read Castiel the same way Dean can – he knows Castiel is angry, maybe even rightly so – but he can't figure out what the angel's endgame is. Castiel stares at him a moment longer, as if trying to force Sam to understand.

"I'm not a mind reader, Castiel."

Castiel's lip curls in a faint sneer. "You used to be." he says quietly, his voice dull. "There used to be a time when you would have killed me for taking what's rightfully yours. You would have – "

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam explodes. "Don't pretend like you know me, Castiel. Don't pretend like you know or even care about what happened to me while Dean was gone." He almost chokes on the word. "You can't possibly understand that."

"You truly don't get it, do you?" Castiel murmurs. Sam opens his mouth to retort – perhaps to ask his original question, since the angel seems to have an aversion to giving a straight answer – but Castiel touches his forehead, and he's back in the motel room he and Dean rented.

His first reaction is to curse loudly – Sam doesn't _want_ to be here, he wants to be with Ruby! She is training him! – but then he catches sight of Dean. He's not wearing his shirt, and Sam can clearly see the pink-tinted bandages on his back. Dean shivers slightly before settling down into sleep again.

Did Castiel bandage Dean's wounds? Sam's fists clench at the thought. That has been Sam's job for as long as they've been hunting together. Still, he doesn't approach Dean's bed. He merely gets comfortable on the spare and falls asleep.

Castiel returns an hour later.

When Dean wakes, he'll tell himself that is was Sam who placed the blanket over him when Cas brought him back. Sam will just nod when Dean thanks him. Both will know the truth. Neither will acknowledge it.

Later, when Sam is in the shower and Dean is packing, he'll whisper a 'thank you' to the heavens and pray that Cas can hear him.

/-/

AN: Yeah, sorry about Sam in this one. I love Sammy to death, but he was acting like a jerk in the beginning of Season 4.

Confused yet? Keep reading – it'll start to make sense later.


	2. Chapter 2

**ch 2**

"Want me to drive?" Sam asks, reaching for the keys. Dean's been moving stiffly for the past few days, and he's been driving slower than normal. Dean nods and slowly stands up, grimacing a little as the gauze pulls against the healing gashes. Sam notices. "You okay, Dean?"

Dean gives him a look. "That has got to be the dumbest question you've ever asked me." he mutters. "And that includes the one about Santa." He sheds his night shirt and pulls on a regular tee, one that's not covered in grease and filled with holes. He has very few of those left. "How do you think I feel, Sam?"

"Like crap." Sam replies readily enough. "Taking it out on me isn't going to help, though."

"It might. Makes me feel better, anyway."

Sam sighs. "I already apologized for that, you know." he points out dryly. "Five days ago, when it happened. If I had known you were hurt – "

"It just took an angel telling you that." Dean bites out. He doesn't want to fight, but he can't just let that one slide.

Sam ignores him and tries to keep going. "- I wouldn't have left, you know that – "

"Oh, please, Sam – "

"You're just pissed because we haven't heard from Castiel in five days!"

Dean scowls. It's true, but he doesn't like the way Sam says it. He doesn't like the accusation behind the words. He reaches out momentarily, searching for the thread of emotion and thought that always lead back to Sam. He only finds Castiel. Dean closes his eyes briefly before focusing again on Sam. "Let's just go, okay?"

Sam glares at him. For a moment, it seems like he might just listen this once, but of course, Sam has to have the last word. "We don't need him, you know." he says quietly. "We've done well enough without him."

Dean doesn't respond to that. He had nothing to say. Sam doesn't need Cas, but Dean does. Cas fills the silence inside his own head – the silence that Sam himself is supposed to fill. It's a suffocating weight, and Cas's sudden voice is like a breath of air to Dean. No matter what Sam says, Dean can't give that up.

"Let's just go."

Sam sighs. "Fine." He takes the keys and his bag, Dean picking up his own bag and following Sam out the door. He pays for the room while Sam packs up the Impala. No words are spoken between them. Dean climbs into the passenger's seat and rests his head against the window. The Impala is silent. Dean reaches over and turns on the radio. Metallica blares through the speakers. Sam flinches, but for once doesn't say anything. He owes Dean that much, at least.

Dean just hopes this next hunt will be a bit easier than the last. He doesn't think his back can take another mauling like the last one.

/-/

Castiel finds Dean alone in another sleazy motel room in a small town three states away from where he left the hunters. He scowls slightly to himself. Dean seems to be unaware of his presence. He intently cleans his shotgun. Castiel decides to get his attention.

"My superiors told me you and Sam were inseparable."

Dean doesn't even jump at the unexpected voice. "Things change, Cas." he says with a shrug. "Besides, I sent Sam on a food run. My back couldn't take much more of the Impala." Castiel frowns and moves closer to Dean. The hunter is moving strangely, seated on his bed and cleaning the shotgun with short, jerky movements. Something isn't right.

"Take off your shirt."

Dean gives him a look. "Usually I get dinner before that happens." he quips. Castiel gives him a flat look.

"I wish to see how your wounds are healing." the angel clarifies. He takes a step closer to Dean, invading his personal s pace. Dean starts to protest, but Castiel silences him. "Your back is hurting you. Perhaps I can help." Dean doesn't say a word. He simply stands. He attempts to take off his shirt, but he can't raise his arms enough to do so. Without thinking, Castiel steps forward and helps tug the fabric off. It feels heavy and damp in his hands. Dean turns around without waiting for Castiel to ask.

The bandages are soaked with blood. The shirt probably is as well. Castiel's eyes widen slightly. "Have you changed these?" he demands.

Dean offers a half-shrug, as much as he can manage with a shredded back. "Sam did a few days ago." he says. The angel nods and slowly pulls off the gauze patches. Dean hisses as they come free, but Castiel doesn't stop. The flesh is an angry color, the gashes weeping blood and pus. Castiel gently touches the inflamed flesh. Dean twitches violently.

"Shit, Cas!"

"It's infected." Castiel says flatly. He touches Dean's back again and watches with satisfaction as the wounds and infection melt away. He steps back. "There."

Dean rolls his shoulders and sighs in equal parts relief and exasperation. "You really shouldn't do that." he says half-heartedly. "Save your mojo for emergencies."

Cas smiles faintly. "Dean, my mojo is not limited. I promise you that." he assures the hunter.

Sam walks into the room, two bags in his hands. He blinks and almost takes a step back. "Castiel – hey – wasn't expecting you."

Cas shifts. "I can leave if you like."

"Please."

"No."

Sam casts Dean a glare, which the older Winchester returns in full. "We're on a hunt, Dean." Sam points out tightly. Dean shakes his head.

"Yeah. And if Cas wants to stick around and help, I'm not gonna argue with him." he retorts. "He's part of the team."

Castiel judges about ten seconds before Sam blows up. He makes it five.

"Oh, so Castiel is part of the team, but not Ruby?" Sam snaps. "_Cas_ is your buddy, but Ruby's still just a demon - ?"

"I don't trust Ruby." Dean cuts him off.

"I don't trust Castiel!"

Dean's gaze darkens slightly. "He pulled me out of Hell, Sam." he reminds the younger, his voice quiet. "He deserves my trust for that." Sam snorts.

"Trust. Right. He's _manipulating_ you, Dean. He's playing you like a puppet on strings, and you're letting him!"

Cas opens his mouth to protest – the thought of using Dean in such a manner hasn't even occurred to him – but Dean beats him to it.

"Shut up, Sam. You want manipulation, go look at Ruby. Go look at the damn demon, and leave Cas out of it." Dean stalks out of the motel room and perches himself on the Impala's hood, leaning against the windshield. It doesn't take long for Cas to join him. The angel leans against the driver's door of the Impala, glancing occasionally at Dean.

/Thank you./

Dean sighs. /Don't mention it. I'm just sorry you had to hear that./ he says. /Sammy was always the religious one, not me. If anything, it should be me doubting you, not him./

Castiel considers this for a moment. A small smirk crosses his face. /Shooting and stabbing me doesn't qualify as doubt?/

Dean laughs aloud at that. He can't help it. /Oi! I didn't know you were an angel then./

/It still took some convincing./

/Can ya blame me?/

/Not really./ Castiel moves from his position by the door so he can stand in front of Dean. /Sam fears I'll replace him. Perhaps he is afraid you will no longer need him./

Dean shakes his head. /Not possible. He's my brother./

/Maybe you should tell Sam that./ Cas advises.

/He should already know that./ Dean says, and his mental voice is tight even though his body is relaxed. /I told him as much when Dad said – well, earlier. Besides, I went to Hell to get him back! That should count for something, right?/ He sounds almost desperate. Cas reaches out and touches Dean's shoulder, then lets his hand fall away.

/Tell him again. Ruby is going to pull him away from you. You must fight her./

/Don't have to tell me twice./ Dean growls. He sighs. /I sense hugging in my future./

Cas laughs silently. Dean has never heard Cas laugh aloud – only in the privacy of this telepathic link. One day, Dean vows, he's going to get Cas to truly laugh.

/I think you'll survive, Dean./ He takes a step back. /I'll be in touch./ A slight displacement of air, and Cas is gone. Dean sighs to himself.

"I hope you're right, Cas."

/-/

Zachariah waits for Castiel in the Green Room. Uriel is already with him when Castiel arrives. The youngest angel stands there, unsure. "You summoned me, Zachariah?"

The oldest of the angels nods. "You've been spending a lot of time with Dean Winchester, Castiel." Zachariah says plesently. "Have you learned anything?"

Castiel chooses his words carefully. "Dean Winchester is a private man." he says slowly. "It will take me longer than a few months to learn anything useful about him."

Uriel laughs. "Come now, Castiel. He's just a mud monkey. What is there to learn?"

Castiel ignores Uriel in favor of Zachariah. Zachariah merely nods. "Do you think he is capable?"

That earns the older angel a tilt of the head. "Father says he is."

Uriel smirks. "Of course. Do you agree with Father?"

Perhaps it is too much time spent in Dean's company. Angels are not supposed to question God, and yet it sounds like Zachariah and Uriel are questioning their orders. Castiel doesn't want to answer, but he must.

"Dean Winchester is more than capable."

Zachariah smiles. "That is all I needed to know. Run along now, Castiel. Make sure you stay prepared. Dean Winchester is not your only assignment." With that he vanishes, leaving Uriel and Castiel alone in the Green Room. Uriel turns his attention to the younger angel.

"Will Dean Winchester truly be ready?"

Castiel scowls. "I would be able to answer that if you would tell me what his task is to be." he points out.

Uriel smiles. "You will learn when he learns." And he vanishes as well, leaving Castiel alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Merry Christmas, boys and girls! And as my Christmas present to all you Supernatural fans out there, here's an update for my spectacular foul-up of season 4. (Yeah, this was supposed to be up yesterday. Oops.)

By the way, I had no clue until today that there was a Supernatural calendar featuring our favorite Winchester boys. My mom loves me.

**ch 3**

Sam curses angrily. The grave is only partially uncovered, and unfortunately, the ghost has found them. Dean has charged him with the task of 'finishing the damn thing'. Sam can still hear Dean's shotgun. At least his brother is still alive. Sam digs frantically, as fast as he can alone. Dean screams every time the ghost starts to wander back towards Sam, and then the shooting and cursing start again. Sam curses and keeps digging. The shovel hits wood and Sam forces the coffin open.

The shotgun clicks empty. Dean throws the gun to the side and grabs his shovel. "Dammit, Sam, hurry _up!"_

"I am!" Sam pours gasoline into the coffin and climbs out of the grave. He pulls out the lighter. The striking o the flame occurs at the exact moment Dean's curses are cut off. Sam drops the lighter. He barely waits long enough to make sure the flame catches before he's running towards Dean.

The older brother is not far away – only a couple dozen yards, curled up on his side with his back pressed against a crumbling gravestone. "Dean!" Sam skids to a halt and collapses to his knees. He grabs Dean's shoulders and lifts him into a sitting position. "Dean! Dean, talk to me!" His pulse is pounding in his ears.

Dean's eyes crack open in a half-glare. "Got anything particular in mind, Samantha?" he growls. Sam utters a shaky laugh and pulls Dean tight against his chest. Dean flinches. "Um, Sammy – head kinda hurts." Sam immediately lets go, stammering an apology. Dean can't quite hide his grin. This is Sammy, not the Sam that had appeared while he was in Hell. He reaches out again, and while he still finds nothing, the thought doesn't bother him as much this time. He can see his brother now.

"What happened?" Sam demands, helping Dean stand up. "You okay?" Dean nods absently.

"Yeah – apparently our tattoos work against ghost possession as well." he muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Jerk tried to take me over, and when he couldn't, he decided to throw me like a Frisbee." He checks himself over for injuries and finds himself broken bone free but covered in bruises. Just another day on the job. He'll live.

Sam blinks. "Huh. Go fig that one."

"Yeah. Didn't see that coming." Dean looks over at Sam, examining him for obvious signs of injuries. Finding none, he relaxes. "Not my finest hour."

Sam laughs shakily. "That's putting it mildly." he teases. "Think you can walk?" He doesn't wait for an answer before he hooks his arm around Dean's shoulders, taking some of his weight on himself. Dean flashes him a smirk.

"Assuming the world doesn't start spinning, yeah." he quips. Sam laughs, stronger this time, and guides Dean back to the Impala. He takes the passenger seat with no protest (this is starting to become a habit) and lets Sam drive them back to the motel. They haven't made it very far before Dean speaks. "Did you torch it?"

"Yeah – salted and burned." Sam assures him. "He's not gonna hurt anyone else."

"Good." Dean closes his eyes and rests his head against the window. Sam glances at him.

"You tired?"

"Not really." Dean doesn't open his eyes, doesn't bother to look. "Head just hurts, that's all. Go ahead and talk if you want."

Sam nods and makes a mental note to keep Ruby away for the night. Dean doesn't need the stress. He reaches out, searching for the familiar thought patterns of his older brother. There's nothing. He swears quietly. "You weren't kidding, were you?"

"No."

"Shit."

"Cussing doesn't make it miraculously appear." Dean comments dryly. "Trust me, I've tried."

Sam smiles faintly. "I can imagine."

"And before you ask, I don't know why it's suddenly gone." Dean mutters. "It just is. Has been ever since I got back from Hell. Not even Cas can figure it out."

Sam's grip on the steering wheel tightens. "You told Castiel about that?" he asks, voice barely steady.

Dean nods. He still doesn't look at Sam. "Yeah."

"Why?"

There's no point in lying. "He asked. I can do it with him, too. Figured I should at least tell him this isn't new to me." He glances at Sam, opening his eyes just a crack. "You sound pissed."

Sam clenches his teeth. "I thought only I could do that." Suddenly Castiel's comments make perfect sense. The angel _did_ steal something that belonged to Sam – his bond with Dean.

Dean fully looks at Sam, his eyes guarded. "It's not Cas's fault." he says quietly. "He didn't' even know about the link until he got saddled with it."

"He's probably told his angel buddies about it." Sam says tightly. Dean snorts.

"Not likely."

"How would you know that?"

Dean glares at Sam. "Can we not argue about this now?" he snaps. "You don't see me dissing Ruby to your face! I got it you don't trust him. I do. So deal already."

Sam's anger fades away. "Ruby told me something about Castiel." he says slowly. "I asked her to keep an eye on him." Dean casts him a poisonous look, but Sam keeps going. Maybe if he can _explain_, if Dean knows the full truth about Castiel, maybe his brother will come to his senses. "She saw Castiel meeting with two other angels. They were asking him questions about you."

Dean rolls his eyes. "Cas pulled me outta Hell. Makes sense they'd keep tabs on me."

"Talking about some kind of job for you?"

"Cas mentioned that."

Sam sighs. So much for common sense. "We should go to Bobby's." he says instead, choosing to drop the subject. "Haven't seen him in a while."

Dean smiles. "Yeah. That sounds good."

Sam nods. "Dean – we're cool, right? I mean, besides Ruby and Castiel, we're good. Right?" He sounds too much like ten-year-old Sammy asking if, since Dad is mad at him, is Dean mad at him too, and Dean feels his throat tighten. He can't lie to that voice. He never could.

"I don't know, Sammy." he whispers, and the words cut him. "I honestly don't know. I respect that you don't trust Cas – hell, I don't trust Ruby. We're even." Sam chuckles lightly at that. Dean flashes Sam a weak grin before continuing. "It's the silence, Sam. I can't deal with that very well, ya know? I mean, Cas is here," he taps the side of his head, "but you're not, and that scares the hell out of me."

Sam nods. "I know. I – I'm sorry. It never occurred to me to _try_ and reach out. Guess I just assumed you were there, y'know?" Dean nods understanding. Sam shifts uncomfortably. "Ruby doesn't know. I never told her."

Dean glances at him. "No offence, but you sure?"

"None taken, and unless she got me so drunk I don't remember it, I never breathed a word." Sam swears. "And I've never been that drunk." Dean knows it's the truth, too. No matter how drunk the brothers have gotten, hunters instincts refuse to let them forget anything.

"I believe you."

"Thanks."

The rest of the drive is made in companionable silence.

/-/

When they arrive at the hotel, Dean is only mildly surprised to see a small scrap of paper on his pillow. Sam immediately heads to the bathroom for a shower. Dean sits down on the bed and grabs the paper fragment.

The fragment itself is not surprising. After all, it wouldn't be the first time John or even another hunter left them a plea for help when they learned the Winchesters were in town. This note, however, is surprising.

_Call if you have need – C_

Dean frowns. Something has changed, and now Dean is worried. Cas has never left a note before. Dean's tempted to call him down and find out what's going on, but it seems Cas is busy elsewhere, and Dean's not three. He can deal on his own. Answers can come later.

Sam gets out of the shower, and they talk about random things. Neither brings up angels or demons, or even other hunts. They talk about childhood memories and Sam's time in Stanford. Normal things.

Dean keeps a mental eye on the thin strand that connects him to Cas. After all, Cas is part of the team. And if Dean was ever good at anything, it's protecting his family.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N – Before we move onto the long-awaited update, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have adopted this story from Shadowblade-tara. She has quite a bit on her plate, and can no longer update. **_

_**Hopefully, I live up to your expectations, and do this justice. Now then – onto the story! **_

**Ch 4**

Sam's scream draws Dean out of a dead sleep. In barely a minute, he's on his feet, gun in hand, and he's running across the room to the bathroom door. He kicks in the door and steps inside, gun leading the way. "Sammy!"

"Here." Sam sticks his hand in the air. He's sprawled on his back in the bathtub, the shower curtain wrapped around him and partially covering his face. Dean immediately sets his gun aside and moves to Sam.

"What happened?" he demands, helping Sam unwrap himself from the curtain. Sam is shaking and breathing hard. There's a bruise forming on his forehead. Now Dean is shaking. "Sammy – what happened?"

Sam stares at Dean for a long moment, gripping his arms tightly. He draws a shaky breath. "Meg."

Dean freezes. "What?"

"Meg's ghost attacked me. The girl, not the demon. She - " He cut himself off, trembling beneath Dean's hands. Dean lifts him from the tub, and holds him against his chest. Sam keeps talking. "She's never haunted us before – what the hell is going on?"

Dean guides him back into the bedroom. "Pack up. We're leaving." he orders. Sam doesn't argue. The shock is wearing off, and now he's acting more like a hunter than a frightened child.

Dean wishes he could say the same for himself. If he had been attacked, he would be pissed. Since it was Sammy, he's pissed _and_ scared, and that's not a good combination in him. It leads him to do stupid things – like make deals with crossroads demons. Dean shoves the thoughts from his mind. He's scared, and Sam's scared, but now they're leaving.

This time, Dean drives. "Think Bobby'll know what's going on?" he asks Sam.

"If he doesn't, Ruby or Castiel might know." There's still an odd tone in Sam's voice when he says Cas's name, but Dean recognizes a white flag when he sees one. He smiles slightly.

"They might." he agrees, and Sam smiles as well. If Sam can make an effort to trust Cas, Dean can make an effort to trust Ruby – or at least understand why Sam trusted her. He continues to drive.

Sam falls asleep in the passenger seat, exhaustion setting in as the adrenaline wears off.

Dean wants to call on Cas, to see if he knows what's happening, but he doesn't. Cas is busy dealing with something else, and Dean will not bother him until the situation gets worse. So he keeps driving, only stopping to gas up the Impala and make a pit stop.

He's washing his hands when it happens.

Something is behind him. He looks up at the mirror, expecting – hoping – to see Cas.

Hendrickson is standing behind him, smiling. It's not a nice smile. Dean's eyes widen, and he only has a moment to react. He throws himself to the side, barely avoiding Hendrickson as he lunged. Dean crashes to the ground, cursing and grunting as he bruises his side and hip. Hedrickson grabs him by the jacket, and lifts him to his feet.

"She killed me."

"We didn't know!" Dean chokes out.

Hendrickson scowls. "You let her kill me. You let her kill us all." His fist slams against Dean's head. He grunts as more fist rain into him. His mind races – he needs something made of iron, and he can't get away long enough to find anything. He's going to die, beaten to death by a ghost who has only ever haunted Dean in his dreams.

He notices the tatoo – the brand, actually – a moment before the fist slams into his head again.

The beating doesn't really get started. Something grabs Dean from behind and pulls him away from Hendrickson. The angry ghost vanishes. Dean heaves a sigh of relief.

"Are you all right?" Cas lets go of Dean's shoulders, and Dean turns around to face him.

"I'm fine." he says. "Thanks." Cas merely inclines his head in a way that Dean learned long ago was a non-verbal you're welcome. Dean continues. "Cas, what the hell is this?"

"I don't know." Cas admits. "I will find out, though." he steps back, and vanishes. Dean tenses, but Hendrickson doesn't come back. It's the fastest Dean's ever left a public restroom in his life.

Sam is awake when he makes it back to the Impala. "What happened?" he asks. "You look spooked."

"Hendrickson." Dean says tightly.

Sam's eyes widen in shock. "Are you - "

"Yeah. Cas showed up."

"Huh." Sam relaxes slightly. "Looks like I owe him a thank you, then."

Dan smiles tightly. "You and me both, Sammy."

_**/-/**_

They make it to Bobby's with no further incidents. Dean wants to believe that it's over – that whatever this is is a freak occurence, one that will never happen again. But the brand is still fresh in his mind, and he hasn't heard from Cas in days. Something is going terribly wrong. Dean can sense it.

Bobby sighs as Sam explains the situation. "Trouble just seems to follow you boys around, doesn't it?" he grumbles. "Been gettin' calls like that from all my old huting buddies. Ghosts that have never messed with them before are suddenly comin' outta the wood-work." He turns his attention to Dean. "Your angel pal got any ideas?" Dean shakes his head.

"Haven't heard from him since Hendrickson attacked me." he says, and he can't quite keep the worry from his voice. Bobby nods.

"Maybe he'll show up just in time to save our asses." he mutters. Dean can't help but grin at that. Bobby continues. "You said you saw a brand?"

"Yeah." Dean grabs a peice of scrap paper and sketches the brand. "Looked something like that." he hands Bobby the sketch. Bobby looks the sketch over and frowns.

"Nothin' I recoginze." the old hunter mutters. "Maybe it's in the books." he wanders over to his library, still muttering under his breath.

Sam leans agains the wall and sighs. "So no word from Castiel?" he asks.

Dean shakes his head and adopts a similar pose agains thte opposite wall. "None. What about Ruby?"

Sam sighs. "Can't raise her on her cell. Whatever this is, she's steering pretty clear of it." he admits.

Dean arches an eyebrow. "You think she knows what this is?" he asks.

"I know she does."

"Huh. Wonder why a demon would know something an angel doesn't." Dean muses, and for once there's no accusation in his voice. Just confusion and curiosity.

Sam shrugs. "No idea." he admits. "Think maybe they got caught in an angel-demon battle or something?"

"Maybe." But Dean's feeling slightly sick, the way he used to feel every time Sammy was in trouble. It was the same feeling that made him go back to Stanford the night Jessica died. This time, however, it's Cas who's in trouble, and Dean doesn't believe a group of low-class demons like Ruby would give Cas this much trouble. His mind flashes on some of the demons from Hell (he won't allow himself to think of the name, as if thought alone can summon the monster) and a shiver runs down his spine.

Sam glances at him. "I'm sure they're fine."

Dean scowls and crosses his arms over his chest. "Maybe."

_**/-/**_

Zachariah smiles as Castiel explains the situation. "So the Witnesses have finally risen." he muses. "It's about time."

Castiel hesitates. "What do you mean, about time?" he demands, struggling to keep his voice respectful."The Seals were never meant to be broken so early."

"What would you know, Castiel?" Zachariah growls. "You weren't created at the beginning of time like I was. What do you know of our Father's plans?"

"I know this feels wrong." Castiel retorts, ignoring the unspoken command to shut up. Dean is defintiely rubbing off on him. "This was never meant to happen in Father's absence."

Zachariah sighs. "Castiel, I believe you have been spending far too much time with the humans. You are not supposed to have feelings. You are supposed to follow orders."

"My orders are to protect and guide Dean Winchester."

"Your orders have changed." Zachariah turns and faces Castiel completely. "Dean Winchester is to be tried and tested. He is to be put through fire again and again until he is pure and ready to accept his role in what's to come."

Castiel scowls. "You mean until he is broken."

Zachariah smirks. "If that's what it takes"

Castiel's scowl grows more pronounced. "This is torture, Zachariah." he accuses. "Dean can't survive this on his own!"

"_Dean _will have to if he wants to survive what's coming." Zachariah says calmly. "In the meantime, you will stay here."

The words _make me _are so close to Castiel's lips when he feels the burning weight against his wrists. He cries out as the shackles fully manifest, Enochian binding symbols glaringly bright against the dull metal. Castiel falls to his knees, trembling with pain.

Zachariah's smile is back again. "Stay like a good little soldier, Castiel." he murmurs. "This will all be over soon."


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch 5**

They wind up in a special room in Bobby's basement. Sam looks around curiously. "What is this?" "He asks.

"Solid iron walls coated with salt." Bobby says proudly. "Whole damn room is ghost and demon proof."

Dean gives him a look. "You built a panic room?"

"I had a free weekend."

Dean sighs and leans against the wall. Something's wrong. His wrists itch, and he absently scratches them. Sam glances over at him, but doesn't say anything. Dean ignores him for the moment and reaches out. /Cas?/ There's no response. Dean frowns. The thread that connects him to the angel is still there, and as far as Dean knows, there's no distance limit. (Well, there was never one for him and Sam, but who knows if the link can reach all the way to Heaven?) Cas should answer him.

/Cas? C'mon, man – you're worrying me./

"Dean?" Sam's voice breaks his concentration. "You okay?"

"Cas isn't answering." Dean says, opening his eyes. He can't quite hide the way he's clenching his fists. Sam blinks.

"Why?

"I don't know."

"Oi!" Bobby snaps, drawing their attention back to him. "Someone wanna tell me what you two idgits are talking about?"

"Later." Dean says. "You find anything?"

"Yeah. A reference to a really old prophesy, where those with the mark of the Witnesses rise from the dead and come after the ones responsible for their deaths." Bobby says grimly.

Sam sighs and rubs a hand over his face. "How old of a prophesy are we talking about?"

"Revelations." Bobby says bluntly.

Dean almost chokes. "Revelation? You mean, like the Bible?"

"How many Revelations do you know of, idgit?" Bobby growls. "I don't get my Bible down here to cross-reference, but I do have a spell to put then back to rest. Even got all the materials up in the house."

Bobby scoffs. "What? Did ya think our luck would begin now?"

_**/-/**_

Castiel is in agony.

He's not sure which is worse: the searing pain in his wrists, paralyzing his hands, or the muted cries of his charge in the back of his mind. Zachariah is gone. He's not there to watch Castiel struggle against his chains, fighting to remove the binding metal. Every time his Grace flares, it burns his arms. Soon enough, crimson blood covers his arms from the elbows down.

Not for the first time, Castiel is glad that his vessel's soul is asleep. Jimmy Novak doesn't have the pain tolerance to deal with this.

/Cas! Cas, help us!/

Dean has never cried out for help before.

_Castiel._

His Grace flares one last time, and the shackles melt away. Fresh blood coats his arms, but he pays it no mind. "_Thank you, Father." _he whispers, pushing himself to his feet.

_Hurry, Castiel._

He doesn't need to be told twice. A rustle of wings, and Castiel vanishes from the Green Room.

_**/-/**_

Dean is jolted from a dead sleep by an unexpected brush across the back of his mind. His eyes snap open. Sam sleeps peacefully on the couch across from him. Dean sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

/Good job with the Witnesses./

Cas's mental voice scares the crap out of Dean. In a flash, he's across the room and standing just in front of Cas, anger and betrayal on his tongue until he sees the pain almost – hidden in the angel's eyes. The vague sense of betrayal vanishes before he even makes it all the way across the room. /What happened, Cas?/ he demands, voice gentling ever so slightly. /I called./

/I know./ Cas shifts, and something raw flashes across the back of Dean's mind. /I was detained./

Dean scowls. /Detained, Cas?/ He reaches out to grab Cas's arm, but the angel flinches away. Dean's eyes narrow. /Show me./ When Cas hesitates, Dean struggles to keep his voice even. /Please, Cas – if you're hurt, I need to know./

Cas slowly removes his hands from his pockets. Dean's eyes widen. "Shit, Cas!" He reaches forward and forces Cas to remove his trench coat, revealing the blood-soaked sleeves of his white button-down. Dean's voice breaks. "Shit."

"I'll heal." Cas assures him.

Dean doesn't even acknowledge that. /Can you take your shirt off?/

Cas considers a moment, hands twitching, and shakes his head. /No. My hands are paralyzed./ he admits, and Dean can faintly sense his embarrassment. /I'll heal./

Once again, Dean ignores that. Instead, he guides Cas to Bobby's spare bathroom and helps Cas take off his shirt. He smiles faintly. "Welcome to the family. Used to do this with Sammy all the time." Cas returns the almost-smile. Dean grabs the first aid kit from under the sink. He sets about cleaning the blood from Cas's arms, revealing the wounds. Inch wide black burns on both of Cas's wrists, tears traveling up from the burns to the elbows. Dean keeps stead as he bandages the lacerations. "Damn, Cas – what happened?"

"I was detained." Cas repeats softly. "There is a type of metal that affects lower ranked angels in rather unpleasant ways."

Something dangerous flashes across Dean's face. Cas can feel it building in the hunter's mind. "Who?"

Cas doesn't look away. "No, Dean. Just let it go. There's nothing you can do."

"Like hell there isn't!"

"_Dean." _ Cas's tone silences the hunter, but the angel can tell Dean will not let it go. "There are more pressing concerns right now. The Witnesses."

"Right." Dean ties off the bandages, and steps back. "What was that, anyway?"

"A seal." Cas says grimly. "The rising of the Witnesses is the breaking of one of the sixty-six Seals." Cas starts to say more, but cuts himself off. How can he explain to Dean what he barely understood himself?

The hunter gives him a look. "Is it really a part of Revelations?" he asks.

"Yes and no."

Dean blinks. "Huh?"

Cas closes his eyes for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The Seals are only supposed to number seven." he explains haltingly. "They are only supposed to be broken by the Angel of Seals, and only at God's command. However, there are sixty-six perversions of Seals that anyone can break at any time and accomplish the same thing."

Dean swallows hard. This is a lot to take in. "What do these seals do?" he asks, mouth dry.

"They keep Lucifer bound in Hell."

A pause. "So if they break, then Lucifer is free?"

"Yes."

Dean stares at Cas. "Are you serious? It's that easy to set Lucifer free? The freakin' devil, and it's that easy?"

"Not exactly." Cas assures him. "Only a very powerful demon can break the first seal – and no, I don't know what that first seal was. I intend to find out."

Dean chuckles, the sound strained. "You know me too well, Cas." he teases lightly. Cas offers that odd little half-smile of his. "You gonna keep me updated?"

"Of course." Cas takes a step back, ready to vanish but Dean reaches out and snags his jacket, careful of his arms.

"How long will it take you to heal?" Dean asks gently.

Cas considers. "I'll be fine by morning."

Dean nods. "Then stay until morning. The last thing you need is some demon finding you in this condition."

Cas hesitates. Dean simply waits. "I – I would make Samuel uncomfortable." the angel says calmly. Dean shakes his head.

"Sam can deal. C'mon, Cas – consider it payback if you want. I can't heal your arms, but I can make sure you're safe tonight." the hunter says. "Humor me."

Cas finally relents. "I will stay."

Dean smiles. "Good."

Sam listens from the couch, pretending to be asleep. He doesn't move when Dean resumes his postion laying on the couch. His brother and the angel fall silent, but Sam has no doubt that they're talking silently. A soft sigh escapes him.

He thinks he understands now.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch 6**

Sam exits the bathroom, still toweling his hair dry. Dean is laying on his stomach on his bed, oddly enough thumbing through the Gideon Bible that usually stayed in the nightstand. Sam frowns. "You're actually reading the Bible?" he asks.

Dean doesn't even flinch. "Well, if someone's trying to set Lucifer free, I figured I'd better know what to expect." he says easily. "Besides, Cas refuses to answer my questions until I do my homework." he flashes Sam a grin. "Not unlike someone else I know, come to think of it."

Sam rolls his eyes and throws the towel at Dean. "That was in high school, and you kept trying to steal my answers." he reminds the eldest Winchester. "So, what are you learning?"

"That Cas was right. This is seriously screwed up." Dean taps the pages of the Bible. "According to this, there's only supposed to be two witnesses, and they aren't ghosts. Mean bastards, but alive. They're prophets of God, and they aren't supposed to show up for a while yet – assuming I'm reading this right." he looks up at Sam. "There's no mention of brands or tattoos, either."

"Huh." Sam sits down on his bed. "So why did our Witnesses have tattoos?"

Dean shakes head. "Perversions. Cas said that whatever this is, it's not Revelations. Some demon is trying to get around God and prophesy, apparently."

Sam sighs. "Perfect." Silence descends on them. Dean resumes reading with the same intense concentration that he usually reserves for center folds. Sam watches Dean for a while, something dark in his eyes. He has no doubt that Dean is committing every word to memory, and that's just not like his brother. Castiel is changing things more than Sam can possibly understand, and that frightens him. He stands and grabs his coat. "I'm going out." he says flatly. "Need some air."

Dean immediately looks up. "Where?"

Sam just shrugs. Dean scowls. "Just – just be careful, okay, Sammy?" he waves expressively. "We don't know what's out there." Sam nods and walks out the door. Dean stares after him for a moment before letting his head fall to the bed. His entire body goes limp. "Dammit, Sammy, I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken!" he shouts into the Bible, the pages muffling the sound.

There's no response. Dean hopes he'll hear the door open again, hear Sam pestering him to talk about his feelings. Whoever would have thought that he'd miss the 'Samantha chick-flick moment' parts of his life?

"Hello, Dean."

Dean jerks and swears violently. "Cas!" He sits up and glares at the angel. "Thanks. My heart needed to be jump-started." Cas smiles faintly at him, but Dean can hear his laughter ringing through his mind. He smiles despite himself. /You do that on purpose, don't you?/ he teases.

/I live to scare you./ Comes the dry response. Cas is a quick study as far as sarcasm is concerned.

Dean laughs. /That's pretty good./

/Thank you./ Cas sits down next to him and glances down at the Bible. "Do you understand it?"

"Enough to know that these weren't the _the _Witnesses we went up against." Dean says with a small sigh. "So basically what this thing is saying is that eventually God's gonna Get tired of the souls game, take what's rightfully His, and burn the rest?"

A faint smile touches Cas's face. "Essentially."

"So why draw it out?"

"To disprove the power of Lucifer." Cas replies immediately. "To draw as many humans as possible to Him. Some will only make decisions if faced with terrible hardships."

Dean tilts his head to the side. "Doesn't that kinda eliminate the faith thing?" he points out.

"Yes and no." Cas looks away, considering. "For those who already believe, it will be absolute proof. For those that don't, there will be plenty of explanations to choose from."

Dean nods his understanding. He turns his attention back to the book. "There's nothing in here about telepathic angels." he says. "Or telepathic hunters, for that matter."

"If everything that exists in Creation was mentioned in the Bible, you would not be able to carry it." Cas says dryly. "Most would never understand it. Hunters are unique."

"Gathered that." Dean mutters. He closes the book before returning his attention to Cas. "I know you didn't come here just to scare me."

Cas frowns. "Actually, I believe I did."

Dean blinks. "Seriously?"

"I – I think so."

Suddenly Dean understands. "Oh, man." he mutters. He adjusts himself into a more comfortable position on his back and sighs. "Didn't expect that to happen so fast." He should have, though. The random appearances occurring more and more often, with nothing to motivate them other than the desire for company – yeah, really should have realized.

"Dean?" Cas's serious voice pulls him from his thoughts. "What does this mean?"

"It's nothing bad." Dean assures him quickly. "It happened with me and Sam too – apparently the telepathy thing has a stage where you feel this insane need to be close to each other. I didn't really notice it since I've already gone through it, but I forgot to warn you." Dean grimaces. "Sorry about that."

Castiel shakes his head in a dismissive manner. "How long does it last?" he asks.

Dean shrugs the best he can lying down. "For me and Sam, it was a year. It also didn't start until Sam was ten." he chuckles. "Dad couldn't figure out why his seventeen year old son was letting his ten year old kid brother sleep in the same bed as him. Even after that, we insisted we share a room."

Cas tilts his head to the side. "You never told your father?"

The hunter scowls. "I was going to – until I saw him gank these twins because of it. They were Sam's age." Dean shivers. "I asked him why. He said it was because their power came from demons. They were _tainted._" The word falls from his mouth like it tastes bad. Like it hurts. "I knew I couldn't tell him then."

The angel touches Dean's shoulder briefly. "I don't think he would have killed Sam."

A peal of semi-hysterical laughter erupts from Dean. "You don't know my dad, Cas. In that moment, I knew he would kill us if he thought he had to."

This time Cas grabs Dean's arm, gripping him tightly as Dean struggled to get control of himself. /Does this feel demonic to you?/

/No./

/Because it's not. This is your gift./ Cas says firmly. Dean doesn't respond to that, and Cas knows he's thinking about Sam. About his powers – about the silence where Sam should be. Cas can't think of a thing to say, nothing to make it better. Nothing that can help him find his brother again. So he sits there quietly, still holding Dean's arm and ignoring the faint calls he's receiving from Uriel. The warrior can be alone for a little while longer.

Cas's hunter can't.

_Tell him, Castiel._

Cas blinks. _But Father – what good can it do? He wants vengeance,and he won't win against Zachariah._

_Tell him, Castiel. Tell him everything he wants to know. Withhold nothing, deny him nothing. You will understand. _

Still, Cas hesitates. But not for long.

"It was Zachariah."

Dean's head snaps around, his eyes narrowed. "What?"

"The one who detained me. It was Zachariah – my superior." He watches as Dean's face darkens, anger making the hunter's eyes glow. He tightens his grip on Dean's arm. "Please, you must not go after him. He's far more powerful than myself."

"And if he thinks that strength alone can win against me, he's obviously never gone against a pissed-off Winchester." Dean growls. Cas merely shakes his head. Dean grits his teeth, fists clenched. /I won't go after him, but if I come across him, I swear I'll kill him./ Dean vows.

Comprehension flashes across Cas's face. "Secrets." he whispers, but Dean doesn't hear him. He's focused on sublimating his anger until it can do him some good.

Dean's voice is louder in his mind, his presence stronger.

Perhaps what Hell destroyed, secrets have kept from reforming.

He should return to his garrison, but leaving Dean alone doesn't feel right. So he stays and prays that Uriel will not find him. Father will protect their secret.

The thought makes him smile.

By the time Sam comes back, Castiel is gone, and Dean is channel surfing. When they pack up and leave the motel, Dean takes the Gideon Bible with him.

_**/-/**_

The night finds Dean leaning against the hood of the Impala, watching the stars. He tries not to think about how Sam should be out here with him. Instead, his little brother left the motel room to find Ruby. He tries not to think about how bad that hurts.

A single tear falls down his face.

"God." The word escapes him before he can even think about it. Cas is rubbing off on him. "God, I - "

He doesn't know what to say. What can he say to make someone like God listen? In the end, he simply talks as if he's speaking to Sam, or Bobby, or even Cas. "I don't know what to do. Hell, I don't even know what's going on anymore. At least before I had a clue, you know? I had a plan. Now I'm just here, and the nightmares keep getting worse." he sighs and bows his head.

"Why did You save me? Why bother when I couldn't even save my brother? Now Cas is getting caught up in this – it can't be part of the game plan, can it?" There's no answer, but Dean isn't expecting one. He _needs _to vent and unload, and God seems like the perfect listener. Dean doesn't want a response.

"And that angel – Zachariah? - it may earn me a trip back to Hell, but I swear that he's going to die. You can't be too pleased with him either. My dad always hated it when me and Sammy fought, and we never drew blood." He shakes his head. "I guess what I'm getting at here is – You want me to stop this, that's fine. I don't want the world to end either."

"But You got to eventually let me know I'm not doing this alone. I need my brother – but God - " Dean cuts himself off, refusing to look away from the ground. Afraid to articulate what he really wants, as if simply thinking it is a betrayal of everything he's shared with Sam. So he falls silent.

He finally looks up, the cold making him stiff, Cas is standing in front of him, watching with some small amount of concern, and Dean cant' help a small smile. If Cas heard his prayer, he says nothing about it. He merely joins Dean against the Impala, and Dean relaxes against the cold metal.

_Thank you, God. _

_**A/N – Whew! This chapter was a monster! Five and a half pages on my word processor! Hopefully you guys like it so far. So please keep reading, and let me know what you think!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Supernatural © Eric Kripke **_

_**Not mine, no matter how much I wish Dean and Cas were. *grins* **_

_**Ch 7**_

"Get out."

Ruby snorted, a small smile curving her lips. "Make me, Winchester." She taunts. "Sam invited me in."

Dean glances at Sam, who has his gun drawn, but pointed at the floor. Dean himself has his gun aimed at Ruby, even though it won't do him any good. He really needs to talk to Cas about other ways to kill demons. "Sam?" He hates the way his voice breaks.

Sam nods. "Dean, we need her help."

Dean immediately shakes his head. "No," he snaps. "We don't need her."

"We need help." Sam insists. "We can't get ahold of Bobby so –"

"So you called a demon?" Dean growls. "No. She leaves. End of story, Sam."

Ruby glares at him. "Or what? You gonna shoot me?" Deans' eyes flicker. Ruby's responding smile lacks any humor. "You won't. You won't risk any damage to my human body."

Dean doesn't respond to that. His eyes keep flickering, his finger tightening compulsively on the trigger, and Sam knows the situation is out of his hands. If he moves, Dean may shoot him on instinct. It didn't use to be a problem, back when they could alert each other with barely a thought. But now -

Now Sam is no longer sure Dean doesn't view him as a monster.

Dean swallows hard. "Take her out." He whispers.

Ruby spins around, but Castiel is faster. He touches her forehead with two fingers, and she drops on the floor like a puppet without its strings. Sam is immediately by her side, checking to see if she's still alive. He glares up at Castiel.

"What did you do to her?"

"I merely put her to sleep." Castiel replies evenly. Sam stands up, but Dean grabs his arm before he can do something stupid – like punch an angel.

"I asked him to, Sam." He says softly. Sam's eyes widen, and Dean continues in that same calm, quiet voice. "I know we need help, and when we couldn't raise Bobby, I called Cas."

Castiel is expecting an argument. He's expecting Sam to yell and rage at Dean while Dean says nothing to defend himself. He's seen them fight before.

So it comes as a complete surprise when Sam punches Dean in the face. Dean lets go of Sam out of reflex, and Sam tears into him, landing as many punches as he can on Dean's face. Dean falls back under the assault, hitting the floor and instinctively curling up into a ball in an attempt to protect himself.

Castiel grabs Sam and lifts him off of Dean before tossing him across the room. Sam slams into the far wall and crumples to the floor. Castiel takes up position between the brothers. Sam forces himself to his feet.

"Get out of my way, Castiel."

Castiel scowls. "No."

"_Move!" _

Dean slowly straightens, but makes no move to rise. Blood flows freely from his shattered nose and split cheek. /Cas - /

/I won't hurt him, but he _will not _hurt you. /

Dean chokes out something that resembles a laugh. /C'mon Cas, what's a few more punches? /

/No. /

Sam glares at them, fists clenched. "I'll take you out." He threatens. "I'll make you move."

Castiel's lips twitch up. "Ruby can't 'take' me." He points out. "What makes you think you can?"

A lamp flies past Castiel's head and smashes gainst the wall behind him. Sam smirks. "I'm learning all kinds of new tricks." He says. I'm stronger than Dean now."

Castiel tilts his head to the side. "You believe you no longer need your brother?" he queried. Sam shook his head.

"I'll always need him."

"You have a strange way of showing your dependence." Castiel says dryly. "Tell me the truth, Sam."

Sam merely levels an even look at him. "What right do you have to ask that of me?" He takes a step forward. "How honest have you been with Dean?"

"More honest than you, I suspect." Cas says calmly. "I know what Dean keeps from you, and I know why – but what do you keep from Dean?" When Sam says nothing, Castiel returns his attention to Dean. He helps the other stand, but Dean immediately shies away before Cas can heal him. He says nothing, merely nods to the angel and walks to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Castiel watches the door. _"What now, Father?"_

_Send Ruby away for now._

The angel nods to himself and kneels down, sending Ruby as far away from the brothers as he can without sending her back to Hell. Sam grits his teeth, but remains silent. Castiel decides to wait. Dean will return.

/Cas?/

/Yes, Dean?/

/Is that true? I can't reach him because I'm keeping secrets?/ Dean's voice is faint, as if he's whispering.

/And because Sam's keeping secrets as well./

/Shit./ Dean walks out of the bathroom. He looks a bit better, less bloody, but now Castiel and Sam can clearly see the bruising under the skin. "All right, we'll deal with the rest later." He snaps, his voice sounding clogged. "Right now, we need to tell Cas what's going on."

"You haven't updated him?" Sam sneers.

"Ruby distracted me." Dean snarls.

Castiel holds his hands up, interrupting the budding argument before the brothers could start swinging again. "Just tell me what's happening." He says flatly.

Dean's the one who answers him. "We came here investigating demonic omens." He replies, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "We got frickin' ambushed. The entire town is possessed. We've pretty much demon-proofed the room – " here he sends Sam a glare – "but that's not gonna help us get the hell out of here."

"And we can't use the same trick we did last time." Sam adds. "There's simply too many of them."

Castiel tilts his head to the side. "Ruby had a battle plan?"

Sam nods. "She had a ritual – "

"I wouldn't use it then, and I'm not using it now." Dean growls, fists clenched.

"But Dean – "

"I'm not sacrificing any virgins!"

Castiel frowns. "There is no ritual for banishing demons that involves virgin sacrifice. " He says. Dean relaxes visibly at that. Sam merely continues as if Castiel hadn't spoken.

"Actually, they seem to be fixated on Dean." He comments. "The demons don't seem to notice that I'm even here."

Dean glances at Sam. "I keep telling him that's his cue to leave, but he doesn't listen to me." He says.

Sam gives him a filthy look. "What – and leave you defenseless?" he scoffs. "No way."

"Now that I'm here, I cannot leave the same way." Castiel muses. "We'll have to fight our way out."

Sam shrugs. "How?"

Castiel glances at Dean. "I'll provide a distraction." He says calmly. "You two must leave when you get the chance."

Dean scowls. "How many demons can you take on alone?"

"As many as I have to."

"That's not an answer, Cas!"

"It's the truth." Castiel says evenly. "You're going to have to trust me." Dean shakes his head.

/I do./ he says quietly. /I really don't want you getting hurt./

A small half-smile crosses Castiel's face. /I promise you, nothing will happen to me. / "As soon as you leave city limits, I will join you." He adds aloud for Sam's benefit.

Dean nods tightly. /If you don't, I'm coming after you./ he promises. Castiel doesn't respond. It's an argument he knows he won't win. He merely nods in return and vanishes in a rustle of unseen feathers. Dean turns to Sam. "Get ready to run."

Sam merely nods and holsters his gun. "I'm following you." He says simply. Dean turns and takes up post at the motel window. The demons were still standing there, waiting patiently for Sam and Dean to make a run for it. Dean's lip curls in a sneer. One of the demons closest to him smiles, eyes black as night. Dean gives it the finger.

"Bastard."

Sam grimaces. "Do you really have to piss them off?"

"You'd rather I give them flowers?" Dean growls. "I'm not in the habit of making friends with things that try to kill me."

"No – you just make friends with things that use you." Sam snaps back without missing a beat.

Dean doesn't even react. He simply stares out the window, waiting for some sign that Castiel's diversion is working. He's just about to ask him what the hell is taking so long when it happens.

A flash of light, bright enough to make Dean and Sam look away and illuminate the entire room, and then it's gone. Dean immediately returns his attention outside.

Over half the demons that had been guarding their room are dead. Some of the remaining demons run, seeking out the angel who dared enter their town. The rest remain, disoriented but determined to guard the Winchesters.

The odds suddenly look much better. Dean grins.

"Go, Sam, go!" he shouts, and Sam darts out the door, Dean hot on his heels. Dean barely regrets parking the Impala across the street – for some retarded reason, the demons hadn't thought to pop the tires – and it only takes stabbing two demons to get to the Impala and get inside. Dean almost fumbles the keys as he turns on the car, and it's the only sign of how nervous he is.

He's praying again, half babble that he himself can barely understand, and he hopes that God can. He throws the Impala into gear and takes off down the road, engine screaming in protest. Demons are running beside him, attempting to get in front of him and cut him off, and he simply runs them over. He only hopes that the humans he's killing are already dead.

More blood on his hands.

"Dean!"

He slams on the brakes, bringing the Impala to screeching halt just inches from Castiel's knees. His eyes widen in shock. He's not sure how he knows something's wrong, he just does. The anger and frustration filtering through his head with Castiel doesn't match the calm smugness on the angel's face.

The demons gather closer, waiting, watching.

Castiel blinks, and suddenly, his eyes are black.

"Shit." Dean breathes. /Cas?/

/I'm fine. Close your eyes./

Dean passes along the message to Sam, and both immediately comply. Castiel materializes behind the demon who stole his body, nothing more than Light and Grace with the faint impression of a human form. He reaches out and grabs his body, entering his vessel and burning the demon into nothing. The demon screams in Castiel's human voice, and Castiel feels Dean's almost overwhelming desire to get out of the damn car and _help._

Finally, the thing dies, and Castiel is where he belongs. Jimmy Novak still sleeps, and for that, Castiel is grateful. Cold blue eyes glare at the surrounding demons. They are quick to scatter. Castiel's lips twitch in amusement.

Cowards.

"Dean." He calls, mentally reaching out to the hunter. Dean throws open the Impala's door and almost rushes to Cas's side. He grabs the angel by the shoulders and immediately looks him over for injuries. Sam also exits the Impala, but chooses to stay close to the car, examining the interaction between hunter and angel. Castiel chooses to ignore him for the moment.

"What the hell was that?" Dean snaps. Castiel can feel the slight tremors that race through the man. "Did that thing possess you?"

"No." Castiel says quickly. "I was merely displaced. I underestimated the demon's strength." The last is added with a hint of embarrassment. Dean utters a shaky laugh.

"Damn, Cas – you almost gave me a heart attack."

"Yes, well, I wasn't expecting it either." Castiel glances around. "We should leave. They'll come back if we stay too long."

Sam watches as Dean forces himself to let go of Castiel. He watches as the angel follows his brother to the Impala, and Dean automatically adjusts the seat so Castiel can climb into the back. The brothers then resume their proper places, Dean in the driver's seat with AC/DC's Highway to Hell blaring on the radio while Sam sits in the passenger's seat and pretends that the music doesn't deafen him. This is how it should be.

He simply ignores the angel in the backseat, just as he ignores the mental silence where his brother used to be.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Supernatural © Erick Kripke **_

_**Ch 8**_

It's the first time Sam has brought Ruby to a motel room he and Dean share, but he figures today is safe. Castiel has not made an appearance since the ambush, and Dean is out doing only God-knows-what. Probably at a bar trying to score. The thought makes his lips twitch.

Good old Dean.

Sam looks Ruby over as she walks into the room. "Are you all right?" he asks. Ruby snorts.

"Yeah. Dean's angel has an interesting sense of humor – he sent me to a brothel." She mutters.

He almost chokes on a laugh. "Must be Dean's influence." He says. "What did you find?"

Ruby considers. Sam sits down on his bed, watching her intently. Finally Ruby speaks. "I know Castiel is one of the lower-ranked angels." She begins slowly. "He's the youngest as far as I know, but he's not the weakest by any means. This is supposed to be his big test –to see if he's worthy to advance in rank." She shrugs. "Angels are mysteries, Sam. There's not much else I can tell you."

Sam nods. "Can we trust him with Dean?"

"Probably not." Ruby sits down next to him. "Castiel's gonna try to turn Dean against you. He won't understand – he'll think you're a monster. We're gonna have to kill him before he tries to kill you."

Sam gives her a look. "How does one kill an angel?"

Ruby smiles. "I'm a demon, Sam – I'll find a way to kill him." She says and her words hold the weight of a promise. "Don't worry. I won't let Castiel take Dean away from you."

Sam smiles back. "Thanks, Ruby."

Ruby nods. "Thank me later. I'll kill the angel, but it's gonna be up to you to keep Dean from interfering."

Sam blinks, the smile fading. "How?"

"He has to drink your blood." She says, and she's using that same flat tone that she used when she wanted to sacrifice a virgin to banish demons. "You got enough of mine in you to give him a power boost. Once he gets a taste, he'll understand. And he won't care what we do to his precious little angel."

That makes Sam hesitate. He remembers when he first tasted Ruby's blood – how he felt like a monster even as he came back for more. "Dean's not gonna give in that easily." He warns.

"Dean's not as strong as he thinks." Ruby corrects him. "Besides, you're his brother. You can convince him it's okay. "

Doubtful. Very doubtful, but if it means he gets to keep his brother – "Fine." He says softly. "I'll do it."

Ruby nods. "Good."

Sam doesn't see her eyes flash black.

_**/-/**_

For once, Dean isn't at a bar trying to score. Instead, he's in the very last place anyone would expect to find Dean Winchester – a Catholic church. He sits on the back pew, head bowed and eyes closed, and prays harder than he ever has in his life. Pleas for safety and guidance flow silently from his lips.

Ever since that first struggling prayer that God actually answered – and Dean considers Cas's appearance an answer to that prayer – he finds the words come much easier. He blames the angel that he even started praying. He blames the answer that he can't stop. The idea that someone is listening and actually cares is addictive.

He finishes – more like runs out of things to say, he's making up for lost time – and finally looks up.

The priest stands beside him, an older gentleman with a welcoming smile. "You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders, son." He says softly.

Dean offers a wry grin in return. He doesn't really want to talk, but he is willing to humor the old man. "Something like that." He admits. "Just wondering if the Man Upstairs heard me."

The priest chuckles and takes a seat beside him. "God hears all of us, son." He assures Dean. "I think He definitely hears hunters, though. They need Him the most."

Now he has Dean's full attention. "How do you know I'm a hunter?" he asks. It surprises him, but doesn't alarm him. For some reason, Dean feels safe here, even though he knows from personal experience that churches don't keep out demons.

The priest gives him a knowing look. "I've met more than a few hunters in my time." He says with a small smile. "All hunters have this look about them – like they're always expecting the worst. You had that look too, until you came in here."

Dean considers that. "How do I look now?"

"Tired."

The hunter laughs. "Accurate." He mutters. "I'm Dean."

"Father Joshua." They shake hands. Father Joshua examines him for a moment. "You don't seem the type to appear in a church, Dean."

A small smile. "I'm not."

"So why now?"

Dean sighs. "Too much, I guess." He leans forward and rests his head in his hands. "I got this friend, and he's got a lot of faith. I guess it's rubbing off on me." A small smile touches his lips.

"Faith isn't a bad thing to have, Dean." Father Joshua says softly.

"I know." Dean offers a half-shrug, head still down. "I've always had faith, you know? Just not in God. Never really thought about God to tell you the truth, until I met Cas."

"Cas?"

"Castiel. My friend."

Something flashes across Father Joshua's face, but it's gone when Dean looks up. "I think you have patrons waiting, Padre." Dean says lightly, indicating a young woman with a wave of his hand. Father Joshua nods faintly. Dean stands and Father Joshua follows suit. "Well, it was nice talking with you."

"I'll keep you in my prayers, Dean."

Dean starts to protest, then decides to leave him at it. Instead he simply nods and leaves the church.

Father Joshua turns to the woman. "Please tell me that's who I think it was, Cassandra."

The woman nods. "Dean Winchester, and in a church no less." She muses. "I suppose you don't need my message now."

Joshua nods. "My Father needs me."

"Now more than ever. Castiel is fighting a losing battle. Zachariah and Uriel are leading a rebellion."

That earns her a sigh. "Zachariah is always attempting to rebel. He just loves the stats of leader too much to follow Lucifer and fall." Joshua mutters. He looks at her. "Does Castiel – "

"He hears from Father." She answers him. "And he knows something is wrong. He's too connected to the Father and to Dean not to understand."

Joshua relaxes just a bit. "So all is not lost."

"No. But Joshua – this isn't going to be a matter of joining Castiel." Cassandra warns him. "Dean does not trust many angels, and Castiel is as loyal to Dean as he is to God. You're going to have to earn Dean's trust before either of them will accept you."

"Well, I wasn't expecting this to be easy." Joshua muttered. "Time to awaken the Garrison."

He vanishes with a rustle of feathers.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Supernatual © Erick Kripke **_

_**Ch 9**_

Dean doesn't know what to think. This new angel – Uriel, Cas called him – rubs him the wrong way immediately. "Okay – so the raising of Sam Hain is one of the seals?" he demands. "Just to clarify."

Uriel's lip curls in a sneer. "Yes, mud monkey." He says with all the condescending attitude one usually reserves for an idiot. "This seal breaks, and Lucifer is one step closer to unleashing Hell on Earth. You remember that."

Sam is quick to come to his brother's defense. "Dean doesn't remember Hell." He protests.

"Is that what he told you?"

"Enough, Uriel." Castiel snaps, and the other angel falls silent. Now that Uriel is out of the way, Castiel turns his attention to Dean. "Have you located the witch yet?"

"No, but we'll find it." Dean promises. "What's going on, Cas?" Something is off. Dean has never felt such agitation radiating from Castiel's soul. He wants to reach out and touch the angel's mind, but Uriel's presence makes him hesitate. Can angels eavesdrop on telepaths? Dean's not about to find out by exposing Cas to Uriel.

Castiel shifts. "We cannot afford to lose this seal. Sam Hain is a destructive force that must be contained." He explains hesitantly. Dean's eyes narrow, but Uriel interrupts before he can demand a clearer answer.

"We will destroy this town to protect the seal."

Dean's reaction is immediate. "No."

"You'd rather allow Lucifer to walk?" Uriel growls. Castiel casts him a warning look, but Uriel is not inclined to listen. "One town versus the entire world. It's an acceptable loss."

"No." Dean lifts his chin and glares right back at the angel. "I won't let you destroy this place."

Uriel chuckles. "Do you honestly think you can stop me, Dean Winchester? Pathetic mud monkey that you are?"

"Yeah." Dean retorts. "Because I'm not leaving."

Cas's attention snaps to him. "Dean, you can't – "

"Sorry Cas, but I am." He doesn't look away from Uriel as he speaks. "I'm not leaving until I find this witch and gank her. I'll protect the seal. No one's gonna be smiting anything."

Uriel advances on Dean. "I can always drag you out of here."

Dean smiles. "And I'll make you kill me before you take me anywhere." He says it as if he's discussing the weather. Sam can hardly breathe.

Castiel is similarly affected, staring at Dean as if he's grown a second head. Dean never looks away from Uriel. "I'll place safe bets that the Boss doesn't want me dead."

Uriel bares his teeth in a silent snarl. "Castiel – see if you can talk some sense into the whelp." He vanishes before Dean can shoot off a smart remark. Sam sighs.

"At least he's gone." He murmurs.

Dean ignores him in favor of Cas. "You seriously gonna destroy this town?" he demands.

Cas shakes his head. "Uriel has his orders. He is to destroy the town if it looks like you will fail." He looks Dean in the eye. "My orders are to avoid collateral damage."

That earns him a sigh of relief. "Thank God at least one of you is on our side." Dean murmurs. Cas smiles. Dean continues. "So who's pushing Uriel to smite the town?"

Castiel doesn't hesitate. "Zachariah."

Dean scowls. "That name again."

Sam raises a hand. "Um – guys? Will someone please tell me just what is going on? Who the hell is Zachariah?"

"He's on my 'to gank' list right behind Ruby and before Uriel." Dean says cheerfully. "And don't say a word, Cas, 'cause you know you won't win."

Cas merely shakes his head. "I was simply going to tell you that you need to move quickly. I don't know if I can stop Uriel."He touches Dean's shoulder briefly. /Call me if you need me./

/Just keep Uriel off our backs./ Dean assures him. /We'll be fine./ Cas nods sharply and vanishes. Dean sighs and turns his attention to Sam. "Let's go."

_**/-/**_

The Green Room is the safest place Castiel can think of for a confrontation. At least here the only human casualties will be the human vessels. The thought makes Castiel sad. He likes Jimmy Novak, had known the man for far longer than he's required a vessel. When Castiel promised to take care of Jimmy's family, he meant it with everything he is. He intends to take care of Jimmy, too.

So dying is not an option.

Uriel appears across the room from him. "After all the times you've made me wait – " he comments. Castiel cuts him off before he can finish the sentence.

"I was following orders."

"Who's?"

"Our Father's." Castiel speaks calmly. Anger will get him nowhere, and may reveal more than he can afford. "I hope Zachariah is getting his orders from the same source."

Uriel's scowl becomes more pronounced. "Did you convince your mud monkey to leave?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because if anyone can stop Sam Hain, it's Dean Winchester." Castiel says with all the confidence he has. Maybe he can talk some sense into Uriel and avoid a fight.

"Winchester is nothing." Uriel hisses. "He's merely a pawn to be used as we see fit, and you would do well to remember it, Castiel." The older angel paces a slow circle around him, fists convulsively clenching. "Your faith in him is astounding."

"I trust Father."

It's the only thing Castiel can say, and it's not the complete truth. He's seen inside Dean's soul. He knows what motivates the hunter, where his loyalties lie. He sees the man that's desperately searching for a reason to believe.

Uriel sneers. "You're fond of it."

"Humanity is easy to love, if you can see the good in them." Castiel says quietly. "I've tried to show you that before, yet you choose to remain blind."

Uriel shakes his head. "This goes beyond that. You treat him like he's a _friend._ He disrespects your name and yet you allow it. Tell me, _Cas, _where do your loyalties lie?"

"With our Father." Castiel says cooly. "And don't call me Cas."

Something changes then. Betrayal flashes across Uriel's face, but Castiel can't bring himself to feel guilty. That name belongs to Dean alone.

Uriel moves then, grabbing Cas by the shoulders and throwing him across the room. Cas slams into the wall and slides to the ground. In a flash, he's on his feet, unfazed. "A sparring match, then?" he asks lightly. Uriel smiles.

"A contest." He corrects. "If you can keep me occupied until midnight, I will not destroy the town. " He leans close. "If you can't, then that town burns – and I promise you, I'll send Dean Winchester back to Hell myself."

Cas can feel his blood run cold. "_Father?"_

"_Dean is safe. You will keep Uriel distracted."_

Castiel nods. "I accept your challenge."

Then Uriel comes at him, and Castiel is forced for the first time to fight a fellow angel.


End file.
